"Geek Teacher... No way, were you in league with the attackers!?"
"What! You were with them!?"
While locked in the cell, I looked for a way to escape and thought about who carried out this attack.
I had no leads on the attackers, but this magic-sealing circle is being researched at Bounce Academy.
Considering that I was attacked on the way home from the academy to the mansion, and more importantly, that they knew Sophia and I were more than just master and servant despite rarely showing it publicly, I could deduce that there was a collaborator within the academy.
"...That's quite an abrupt and rude thing to say, Eliza. I came here, abandoning my precious Friday night, to search for you two who were supposedly kidnapped."
"S-, Sorry, I misspoke! It just seemed like someone from the academy was cooperating with this attack..."
I don't understand the term "Friday night," but thinking about it, he's only been an temporary teacher at the academy for two weeks. He wouldn't know about the highly classified magic-sealing circle.
Besides, he's still wearing the same out-of-place lab coat as during his usual classes.
Most importantly, he got the eldest son of the Marquis expelled. If he were an ally of the attackers, he wouldn't have done something so conspicuous before this incident.
"...Hmm, that is a serious problem. Well, I'll deal with that matter later."
*snap*
"Eh!?"
When Geek Teacher snapped his fingers, the cell door opened. Of course, he used incantationless magic, but cell locks are supposed to have exceptionally high resistance to magic, yet he opened it so easily...
And how did he, a temporary teacher, get here? There were supposed to be guards in front of this room, and many of the attackers from earlier should have been here too.
"Sophia seems to be injured."
*snap*
"...Mmm, the healing magic isn't working."
"Geek Teacher, my hands and feet are bound with magic-sealing circles, magical tools that restrict the activation of magic. I believe that's why. Do you have the key somewhere?"
The magic-sealing circle not only seals the user's magic but also prevents any magic cast on the wearer or against the circle itself from activating.
"From the looks of it, there's no key. One of the guys upstairs must have it. Hmm, let me take a look at him."
He said that while examining the magic-sealing circle on my hands behind my back.
"Aren't you with anyone? Or have all the attackers already been apprehended?"
"I'm here alone. I only subdued the two guards quietly, but there were still over ten skilled individuals in this place. I did inform Headmaster before infiltrating that there would be two people here, but this place is quite far from the city. It will take some time for reinforcements to arrive."
"...I see."
I'm grateful that Geek Teacher came to help, but the situation isn't good.
I don't know how he managed to evade the attackers' surveillance to get here, but there's no way he can escape from here with Sophia and me, both of us restrained at our hands and feet.
"Geek Teacher, I will pay you any amount in thanks later. Is there any way you can get Sophia and me out of here?"
"W-What are you saying! If we're going to escape, it should be the Princess first!"
"I won't be killed if I stay here, but Sophia definitely will be. Geek Teacher, please hurry and escape with her."
In this situation, the attackers might kill me too, but my chances of survival are still higher than Sophia's if I stay.
"Teacher Geek, I apologize for my disrespect the other day! I'll do anything I can do! So please, save the Princess!"
"Please, just Sophia!"
I've gotten my precious childhood friend involved. At least her...
"It's wonderful that you two are on good terms. However, it's disheartening to think that I can only save one person. Alright, this should do."
*snap*
"Wh-What!?"
When Geek Teacher snapped his fingers, the magic-sealing circles on both me and Sophia's arms and legs came off with a click.
Looking at my freed hands and the removed magic-sealing circles, the locks were indeed undone.
"H-How on earth...?"
"I've already created magical tools with similar structures. However, I haven't publicized them because they might be used in situations like this. Still, this one's craftsmanship is rather crude. I would have refined it further to prevent it from being removed... No, forget I said that."
"..."
I don't understand what Geek Teacher is saying. Even if he's somewhat fallen from grace, he's claiming to have already perfected a magic-sealing circle that's even superior to the one researched with cutting-edge technology at Bounce National Magic Academy, the highest institution in this country.
But if I don't think that way, how could he have analyzed and removed a magic-sealing circle he saw for the first time in such a short amount of time...
*snap*
"My pain is gone!?"
"Incantationless healing magic too..."
To cast healing magic so quickly and efficiently without incantations should be difficult even for a specialized healing mage...